


ChasWorld: A Yuletide Adventure!

by Sashataakheru



Category: The Chaser RPF
Genre: Alternate Universes, Christmas fic, M/M, Multi, bubble universes, metafic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-11
Updated: 2014-01-11
Packaged: 2018-01-08 08:45:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1130599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chas has a world all to himself, until he decides to take Julian in with him right before Christmas to meet everyone as Chas' world has shaped them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> How have I not posted this here before? This fic is awesome. Written for an old chaserslash historical ficathon for the prompt 'Chas: In my world, everyone is English', which is a quote from one of the WoE commentary tracks. 
> 
> Chas supplied the world (and the sheer length of this fic), Julian and Craig supplied the snark, and Andrew insisted on his ending over anyone else’s.
> 
> Also, I haven't read this in a while, and I was terrible at tagging for content notes back when I first wrote this, so I'll give it a read-through and update them once I've reminded myself of what I might need to tag for.

It wasn’t often Chas had time to visit his world. Life kept him perfectly busy enough. He didn’t mind, but he always wondered what they were doing. He finally found a spare moment a few days before Christmas. It was just a pity that Julian was over as well.

They were currently lounging on the sofa watching the cricket. Or at least they were until Chas decided Julian was a much better distraction. Chas stopped kissing for a moment and looked at him as he lay in his arms, draped over him like a large Chas-shaped throw rug.

“Hey Jules, wanna see something awesome? I’d have shown Andrew, but the fucker decided not to show today,” he said.

“What’s he doing that’s so important?” Julian said.

“No fucking idea. He wouldn’t say, just that it was important and he’d call round later. I doubt I’ll see him for a few days, knowing him. Probably plans to lock himself in his house and play that game he's obsessed with for hours. I think I remember him mentioning something about that,” Chas said.

“Well, it wouldn’t be out of character for him. How does it feel, being dumped for a computer game?” Julian said.

“Oh, it hurts, Jules. And from Andrew too. So unexpected. I’m just going to sit here and cry until you come and make it all better,” Chas said. “Which means you get to see my shiny awesome thing instead. If Andrew can’t bring himself to spend an afternoon in my company, then you’ll have to do, though I’m sure you know how much I adore you as it is.”

“What is this shiny awesome thing anyway? You haven’t got a diamond encrusted vibrator, have you?” Julian said.

“I think you’d have found out about that by now if I did. That’s not the kind of shiny awesome thing I meant. Just come with me and find out,” Chas said.

Chas managed to sit up and pulled Julian to his feet. They headed down to the small study. Julian leant against the doorframe as Chas pushed the desk out of the way.

“Your secret is behind a desk?” Julian said.

“Yeah, it is. And, uh, I’m not sure if this will work. I never bring anyone here usually. They might not want me bringing guests,” Chas said.

Julian just raised an eyebrow, wondering if Chas had actually gone mad. “What the fuck are you on about?”

“You’ll see. Just help me move this bookcase. It gets a bit stiff,” Chas said, unlocking the secret door disguised as a bookshelf.

Julian figured there was probably going to be some sort of pay out for humouring Chas, there usually was where Chas was concerned, so he got to work, tugging the stubborn door until it revealed a long dark passageway.

“I assume we’re going down there, yes?” Julian said.

“Of course, but not dressed like this. You can be my charmingly handsome gentleman friend,” Chas said, dragging out a trunk from the other side of the room.

“I do hope you realise I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Julian said.

Chas didn’t seem to hear him. He was busy dressing in what looked like old English clothes, though from what era Julian wasn’t entirely sure. He watched Chas pull on a lovely suit in black, charcoal and tan, finishing it off with a dashing top hat and a cane.

“There’s another outfit there. I, uh, got you one in your size. I hope you like it,” Chas said, fishing out the outfit. “Well, no, there’s another in there, in case Andrew miraculously decided to drag himself away from his computer long enough to come by. But we might not be needing that.”

Julian decided this was at least going to be one interesting adventure, whatever Chas had in mind. He modestly shut the study door as he undressed. The outfit did indeed fit him. Chas had clearly planned this very well.

“Right. Now we can go. Oh, and you should call me Lord Charles Hollingworth. I think I last referred to you as my cousin, Baron Julian… something or other. I forget. Anyway. You’re my cousin. So, er, just act like my cousin,” Chas said.

“Is this some fucked up version of Dungeons and Dragons, by any chance?” Julian said.

“Julian, please, I’m not that nerdy. Besides, there aren’t any dragons here. Come on, let’s see if it’ll let you through as well,” Chas said, offering his hand.

Julian took it and Chas led them into the tunnel. There wasn’t much light, nor was it a very long tunnel, but at some point, they stopped being in silence and could hear the noise of carriages and horses and people. The end of the tunnel revealed a narrow street that looked like it had been taken from some Dickensian novel. Chas grinned. He loved this world. He glanced across to see Julian still standing beside him. He grabbed his hand instinctively. Julian had indeed been able to follow him through. Now the real fun would begin.

The detail in the streetscape before them was really quite extraordinary. The street was laid with cobblestone. The street lights were all gas lit. Horse-drawn carriages filled the narrow street on both sides. People went on their merry way, doing whatever it was they were doing. Small unattended children played in the street when the carriages were gone.

“Chas, where are we?” Julian whispered as they watched the street before them.

“Oh, this is Sydney. It’s just… everyone’s English. Is that a problem?” Chas said.

“Have we gone back in time or something?” Julian said. He just noticed that their voices had taken on English accents.

“No, no we haven’t. I just like it this way,” Chas said.

Julian looked at him. He had no idea what he was talking about. “Chas, this is weird even for you.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve never brought anyone here before. Sorry. We can go back if you like,” Chas said.

“Not until we’ve explored a bit. You don’t just show me some secret world hidden in your house and not expect me to hang around, especially when I look so dashing,” Julian said.

Chas grinned. He had hoped Julian would want to stay. He reached up and hugged him. “Oh, thank you, Julian! Come on, we should go find my carriage,” he said.

They crossed the road and walked down towards what looked like a city hall. There was a black carriage drawn by four white horses waiting in front. Chas led him over. The driver sat by, waiting for him.

“Oi, Craig, time to go home, yeah?” Chas said.

Craig turned to greet his boss. “Sure thing. Hop in, sirs. I’ll have ye home in no time,” he said, tipping his hat.

Chas allowed Julian to step into the carriage before him. A thump on the roof and the carriage sped off. Julian wasn’t expecting it to be as bumpy as it was.

“Why is Craig your driver? And apparently Scottish?” Julian asked. He was surprised to hear an actual properly decent accent coming from Craig as opposed to the horrendously bad Chinese woman he usually does.

“Well, currently, he’s my driver, footman and butler, well, one of my butlers. I can even make him dress up in a maid’s outfit if I pay him enough. It’s okay, man. I pay him enough to keep his kids alive and he occasionally gets a fuck if he’s been good. Don’t ask me why he’s Scottish. I don’t know. He just seems to like it that way,” Chas said.

“Should I assume everyone else is here too? I’m not going to bump into another me, am I?” Julian said.

“Oh, no, you’ve always been my absent cousin. But the rest are here. Charles is a Duke and lives in this most extravagant castle with his wife and kid. I think Dom’s his servant or something. I don’t know. I never see him, but I know he's there. Craig’s my driver. Last I heard, Chris was still trying to make it big on stage with Andrew. They do theatre together. And you and I live in a more modest manor house as eccentric nobles. I have a pet peacock and a pet flamingo. You should see them. They’re quite awesome. Oh, and I have dogs! Four lovely whippets. They’re just beautiful. You’ll love them,” Chas said. His excitement was getting hard to contain.

“Yes, but where did this world come from?” Julian said. He wasn’t at all surprised by the dogs. Julian had a feeling Chas would never be truly happy unless he had dogs.

“Oh, I don’t know. I just discovered it after I moved in and found it kept adapting to my thoughts. It’s mostly set in stone now, but I can occasionally change it if I think hard enough,” Chas said.

“This is the result of your mind? Modern day Sydney that looks like Victorian England? Why?” Julian said.

“Why not, Jules? Why not? Oh, and it’s nearly Christmas here too. The time line tends to mirror the real world, after a fashion. Sometimes it runs fast, sometimes slow. Besides, I promised I’d bring you around to see Charles at last for Christmas,” Chas said.

“I’m beginning to think you were always going to bring me here,” Julian said.

“Now you’re getting it. I’ll explain it better when we get home. I’ll have things to show you to help you get a handle on your character,” Chas said.

“Now why does that worry me that you’ve created an alternate version of me in my absence?” Julian said.

“Oh, you’ll like him, I promise. He’s wicked fun. And hey, what did you expect? I just like having you around all the time,” Chas said.

“When I’m not actually here. You really do have a strange mind, Chas,” Julian said.

“What, you’ve only just noticed?” Chas said.

Julian didn’t bother replying as he sat back and watched Sydney-but-not-Sydney flash past him as they travelled. He soon got used to the motion of the carriage, though this didn’t make it any less jarring.

The manor house they arrived at was modest indeed, even by English nobility standards. It did have lovely well maintained grounds and a stable, and other standard features, but it was definitely smaller compared with all the other manor houses in the street. The carriage pulled up and Craig climbed down from the carriage to open the door for his master. Chas and Julian stepped out as Julian saw the manor close up. It was rather ornate and pretty, with expert masonry. Chas grabbed Julian by the hand and led him inside rather excitedly.

* * *

“Aye, nice to see ye too, Chas. Ye Lordship. Aye, I’m doing fine, thanks fer asking. I’ll just stay here and put the horses away,” Craig muttered as he was left alone and ignored.

He clambered up onto the carriage again and drove the horses around to the stables. The stable boy was waiting for him, perched on one of the low walls that made up the horse pens. He jumped off to meet him and help tend the horses.

“James, there ye are. Come on, let’s go get these ladies settled,” Craig said as he began unbuckling and removing all the tack.

The two lead horses were freed first. Craig greeted them warmly. He did love the horses and wished he was able to take more care of them, but no, that was the job of the groom and the stable boy. Craig was driver, footman, butler and general dogsbody.

“Did they behave themselves today, sir?” James asked. He was a tall lad, but still young. They needed strong young lads around. The estate really could do with two stable boys, but Chas would never let him go look for a second, so they made do with one.

“Aye, they were good today. Not sure why. Must’ve been that new feed ye’ve got them on,” Craig said as they led the two horses inside.

“Aye, good stuff that. Supposed to be better for them,” James said.

“Are ye going home for Christmas lad? I heard ye had permission to head home for a while,” Craig said.

“Nah, well, maybe. I wrote me dad, asked if he had room for me to come home, but I haven’t heard back yet. His Lordship said I could go though, if I’m allowed. He’d better write me soon. I won’t get there in time if he leaves it too late,” James said.

“I still think they’d like to see ye anyway, even if ye miss Christmas, Heaven forbid. Ye haven’t been home since ye started here,” Craig said.

“You reckon?” James said.

“Aye, I do. Look, we’ll go to town tomorrow and I’ll see if we can’t get ye call made. Maybe we’ll pick up some presents as well. I still need to get some for me kids,” Craig said.

“Arright. Sounds good t’me,” James said.

“And mebbe we’ll buy the horses a treat, just t’ say thanks,” Craig said.

“Ooh, we could go up to Grevaliers, he’s got all sorts of stuff that’s meant to be good for horses,” James said.

“I’ll make sure we’ve got the cart sorted before we leave. I ain’t walking that far. Now, let’s get these girls into bed so I can run back to His Lordship. He’ll want me soon,” Craig said.

* * *

Julian hadn’t quite expected the manor house he was currently in to be as big as it was. When Chas said modest, he hadn’t pictured this. They’d seen about half of the house, mostly the west wing, and now Chas was showing him his observatory in the roof of the house. Julian had already met the dogs and two of them were sleeping, content to be near their master, while the other two demanded snuggles from this new person their master must think was pretty good. Julian was sitting in an armchair as the dogs climbed on him and licked his face.

“You alright there? They’re not slobbering you to death, are they?” Chas said, turning to look at him, large telescope forgotten.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Perfectly content,” Julian said.

Chas smiled and pulled the dogs off him. He sometimes forgot not everyone was as good with dogs as he was. He hugged them as they turned their attention to him.

“So, what are we going to do now, hey? Got more to show me or is this it?” Julian said.

“Oh, well, I was just thinking supper and some nice warm snuggles in bed. We can see the rest of the house tomorrow. I’d take you to the theatre where Chris and Andrew are, but they haven’t got a show on tonight and I don’t know where they actually live. We’ll see Charles and Dom in a few days. We’re staying overnight at his place for Christmas. I hope that’s okay,” Chas said.

“Sounds okay to me. Mind if I wash first though?” Julian said.

“Oh! Oh, right. Sure. Come on, we’ll go feed the dogs and I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” Chas said.

Julian got up and followed Chas and the excited dogs out. Apparently they understood the words ‘feed the dogs’ and were now yapping at his heels. Julian thought they were rather excitable dogs, even for whippets. He wondered if Chas just liked them that way.

* * *

The kitchens were busy as the evening meal was prepared. It really did smell wonderful and Chas always loved spending time down here, just watching them work. He even helped out when his head chef got stroppy with him just sitting around all day. Chas was getting good at harvesting vegetables. It wasn’t the usual relationship a lord had with his staff, but Chas was no ordinary lord and somehow managed to get away with it.

The dogs were fed in a small alcove off from the main kitchen so no one tripped over them while they worked. Chas left Julian there in charge of the dogs while he fetched their food.

“If you’re after their food, it’s over there behind the breadbox. Had to keep it out of sight. Don’t want them morons thinking they be soup bones when they ain’t,” the chef said as Chas approached.

“Thanks, Cory. I owe you one,” Chas said, patting his shoulder before heading over to fetch the bones. They were shanks of boar with meat still on the bones. The dogs had a particular liking for them and didn’t get them very often, but it was Christmas soon and Chas felt they deserved the treat.

Chas retrieved the bones wrapped in a towel and headed back to the dogs. They could smell what he was carrying. They knew exactly what dinner would be tonight and jumped at him excitedly, eager to get their meal.

“Come on, we’ll take ‘em outside. That way they can bury the bones when they’re done. And so they don’t fight. It’ll give them enough space to keep their bones all to themselves. Come on,” Chas said.

* * *

The estate’s gardens weren’t very modest either. There wasn’t that much space, but there was still enough for manicured lawns, an entertainment area for garden parties, a labyrinth, and a large ornate pond with the most unusual collection of statues and fountains Julian had ever seen. Chas perched on a stone wall as he watched the dogs devouring their meals. The sun was just about set, and the land glowed under a dark orange light.

“They’re beautiful dogs. I absolutely adore them. Probably why I haven’t married. There’s less guilt attached to spending all day with them,” Chas said. He smiled longingly as he watched them. They’d scattered across the lawn, gnawing on their bones.

“Somehow, Chas, I’m not surprised. Oh, and you know how I’m supposed to be your cousin, right? In what way am I your cousin?” Julian said.

“You’re my cousin. What more do you need to know?” Chas said.

“Yes, but this is you we’re talking about. ‘Cousin’ could very easily be Chas-speak for fuck buddy,” Julian said.

“Don’t be so crass, Julian. I will not call you my fuck buddy in polite society, even if that’s what you are. Have some common sense. No one articulates that kind of relationship, even if one knows about it,” Chas said.

“Ahh, right. See, you should have clarified that for me. Telling me I’m supposed to be your ‘cousin’ doesn’t exactly tell me what you really mean, you know,” Julian said.

“It wasn’t the term I was going to use in the first place, but Charles was all suspicious about you and I panicked and said you were my cousin. So cousin you are, even if we aren’t,” Chas said.

“Well, I’m glad we got that clarified,” Julian said.

“Anything else you want to ask?” Chas said.

“When’s dinner?” Julian said, hopefully.

“Soon. We’ll get you cleaned up and head down when summoned. I’ve been told we’re having roast meat, hot vegies, some sort of stew and something else I’ve forgotten,” Chas said.

“Sounds lovely,” Julian said.

“Oh it will be. I may have imagined better kitchen equipment to help the poor dears along. They cook much better now,” Chas said.

“I do hope you realise how anachronistic this whole world is,” Julian said.

“I know that, Julian. You keep forgetting that I like it this way. It’s the unique and quite awesome Chas World,” Chas said.

Chas got to his feet and took one last look at the dogs before he grabbed Julian’s hand and led him back inside. He was eager for dinner, and to see Julian naked. It’s not like Julian needed Chas to help him wash, but like Chas was going to turn down an opportunity for sex with his Julian.

* * *

Craig headed back to the house. The horses had been fed and watered and groomed and now Craig had house duties until bed. He would slink off to his own quarters then. He had his own little house on the grounds for his family, making it easier to serve his master and keep his family looked after as well. Chas had promised his kids could be tutored with his own, when he eventually had kids, which would give them a head start, getting such a good education. Craig had a feeling Chas would never have kids, but he’d still made good on his promise anyway. His kids were making use of the good tutors Chas had arranged for them, and Craig was constantly proud of them.

Once the dogs were put in their kennels for the night, Craig saw his master off and headed back to his little house. He’d been given the night off for once. He was glad of it. He was exhausted and it was so close to Christmas. He just wanted to not work for a while.

His wife Keisha was still awake, though his kids had been long asleep. She looked up from her book as he entered. He had brought some spare food from the kitchens and laid it down on the table.

“Well, that’s Christmas sorted out. How are ye anyway?” Craig said, sitting down next to her.

“Tired. When do you get time off?” Keisha said.

“Tomorrow. I get four days. Work again on the 28th. Tain’t much, but it’ll do. Thankfully, Chas is a very generous master, unlike some of the other lords I’ve worked for. He’s given us a little bonus to get us through the year.” Craig revealed the sack of coins he’d been given earlier.

“That’s some bonus. He must really like you.”

“Aye, my word. I have plans to go buy the kiddies a few things tomorrow, brighten their Christmas, that sort of thing. I’ll hang on to some of it for the coming year. Ye never know when ye’ll need it.”

“It’ll be nice to have that around. I won’t feel so worried we’ll be out on the streets if things go bad.”

Craig hugged her close. He did his best to look after his family, and it had taken a while before they had finally settled into a somewhat stable life. That was when he started working for Chas. His pay was generous, he paid only a small amount in rent for their small house, and they had mostly free reign of the grounds as well. Hell, Chas even asked his wife to come and help clean and cook if they happened to need another pair of hands, adding another small parcel of income. And their kids were happy. All in all, this wasn’t a job Craig wanted to lose any time now, which was why he worked so hard to make a good lasting impression on his master.

* * *

The bathroom was huge. There was a generously sized bath and shower, and a spa, and it was warm and cosy. Julian was unsurprised at the semi-modern fittings. Certainly, they didn’t have spas back in the day. Then again, he’d seen the kitchens, and noticed all the modern trappings secreted into what looked like a 300 year old manor house.

Chas locked the door after giving orders for them not to be disturbed once they’d had a new set of clothes for them both brought up. Julian undressed as Chas began to fill the bath with hot water. Chas wanted this to be their private time, even though he could’ve had servants fill the bath and wash them. It was an indulgence Chas made use of occasionally, but he still felt it was a tad much to demand his servants wash him. He wasn’t a helpless child. He was perfectly capable of washing himself when he saw fit. He had discovered some of the trappings of nobility were rather unnecessary, especially for someone used to taking care of themselves.

“I’m not going to mention the spa. Or the bubble bath. I’ve already accepted how fucked up this place is,” Julian said.

“Thanks, mate. I appreciate it,” Chas said. He folded his clothes carefully and set them on a chair as he undressed. He didn’t think it right to just throw these clothes in a corner. They were, after all, very expensive clothes. Julian’s, on the other hand, were thrown into the laundry basket to be washed.

“Am I right in assuming this is going to end up as more than just a bath?” Julian said.

“Of course. I’ve told them not to disturb us. Well, once some fresh clothes have been brought up at any rate. Then we’ll be alone. I’ll lock the door and sink you into that gorgeous bath and we’ll have some time to ourselves before dinner,” Chas said.

“What an excellent idea,” Julian said, bringing Chas into his arms.

Chas reached up and took his glasses off. He didn’t even mind the height difference now. He’d gotten used to it, and besides, there was nothing he loved more than having his big Julian holding him close. Setting them aside, Chas kissed him slowly, savouring the taste. It was only when Julian glanced over Chas’ shoulder at the bath and saw that it’s almost full when they broke apart. Chas reached for the taps and managed to shut them off with millimetres to spare.

“That was close. I might let a bit out. I mean, we still have to get there and I’d hate to flood the bathroom,” Chas said, reaching in to yank the plug out through the warm bubbly water.

“Don’t want your precious tiles getting water damage?” Julian said.

“Something like that,” Chas muttered as he watched the water level fall. He shoved the plug in again when it looked low enough to take both of them without overflowing. “Well, go on. Get in there. I’ll go see how those clothes are coming.”

Julian gave him a quick kiss before stepping into the bath. It was wonderfully warm. He watched Chas pull a robe on and wander out to the corridor as he clearly went to retrieve clothes. He returned soon enough and locked the door. He slid the robe off in a most teasing manner before sinking into the bath in front of Julian, carefully trying not to spill water everywhere. Chas leant back against Julian’s chest as Julian brought his arms around him.

“I do hope you don’t think I’m mad or anything for bringing you here. You will behave for Charles, I hope. I must warn you he’s got an even bigger ego here than he does in real life. Don’t piss him off. Also, you’re a naturalist. Or at least interested in that sort of stuff in an eccentric noble kinda way. You spend a lot of time abroad, that’s why you were always my absent cousin. You’ve just come back from Gibraltar. You were looking at ancient ruins and such. It’s all very interesting and fascinating. So don’t fuck it up, alright?” Chas said.

“So no pressure then. Thanks, Chas,” Julian said.

“Hey, I do what I can,” Chas said.

Julian nuzzled his neck and nipped at the skin, a gentle punishment for the circumstances Julian had found himself in. Chas gasped and giggled. Julian just laughed and kept at his teasing.

* * *

Andrew sunk his hands into his coat pockets. The wind was cold tonight, even though it was summer. He’d just had his last show of the year and he was itching to get home. He was tired. He just wanted to sleep. His inattention was perhaps what led to the attack. He didn’t see the men creeping up behind him until it was too late.

“Get him, boys!”

Andrew turned to see them charging at him. In his panic, Andrew looked for an escape route, but found nothing but posh manor houses and brothels. Neither option would be safe, not for a boy who’s got a pocket full of gold and was probably too weak to fight back. He took the first available option, which was an open gate leading to one of the manor houses.

His assailants chased him until he tripped over and they pounced, leaving him bloodied, bruised and in need of help. They’d also taken his pay, leaving him penniless. Sighing at his bad luck, he lay there gazing up at the stars, wondering morbidly how long it would be until he was dead and how long it might take for a human being to bleed to death. How fast did blood drain out of a human being anyway? Andrew thought it might be faster depending on where the wound was. He stopped thinking for a moment as he tried to work out if he was indeed bleeding profusely from some wound he couldn’t see or feel.

A moment of stillness allowed the pain to settle across his body. He had a feeling his ribs might be broken badly, and perhaps his arm and a leg or a knee. It was hard to tell where the pain was most intense. He lifted a sore hand to his head to see if he was bleeding. Looking at his fingers, he was bleeding somewhere from the back of his head and from his temple and his nose and his mouth. They’d punched his jaw. That hadn’t been fun. Hell, none of that had been fun. All he’d wanted to do was go home and eat dinner with Chris and snuggle in bed with him, but no, the Gods had not smiled on him tonight.

Andrew was too tired to bother trying to speak. He couldn’t move, had no energy left to move. He took a look at his surroundings as best he could so he could go to heaven remembering the last place he saw. Well, it wasn’t like anyone would bother saving him. Poor beaten up struggling actors weren’t high on society’s priority list. No, he would die in these grounds, lovely as they appeared to be, and buried in some shallow grave somewhere. He might get a grave stone if he was lucky. Maybe it would even be made of stone. Andrew wondered what would be written on it. Would Chris even be able to afford all that? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t think so. He wished he’d been rich so he could have made a will and left his things to Chris. Chris would probably have to sell them to survive. There would be nothing left of his existence at all, except Chris’ memories. That made him a little sad. He should have liked to have left something behind, some mark on the world. Well, it was a bit late for that now.

Still, he’d had a damn good show that night. The audience had adored him. It would’ve been a shame to die after a bad performance. At least he’d go out on a high. He was fucking brilliant. He deserved to be remembered for that. Chris had to make sure of that. He just had to.

The air grew cold again and Andrew shivered a little. He closed his eyes and stilled his breathing. Why stress? He wasn’t going to be rescued. He just had to lie back and enjoy the last moments he had left.

* * *

Soon enough, they were summoned to dinner. Their bath was annoyingly cut short, but neither seemed to mind, not when they both knew what was waiting for them. Chas was all excited again and pulled Julian out of the bath so they could dry off and dress. Their suits were even nicer than the ones they’d been wearing previously.

Julian brushed down his jacket as he inspected his appearance in the mirror. He did look rather dashing. Chas did have a way of stroking his ego.

“I knew that would look hot on you,” Chas said.

“There are days when I do believe you’re completely evil,” Julian said.

“That’s why you love me, Jules,” Chas said. “Come on, dinner awaits, and I guarantee you don’t want to let this one go missed.”

Chas grabbed his hand and dragged him down to dinner, trying to be polite and not sprint all the way there. It was undignified to run to dinner, even if you were an eccentric noble. The dining room itself was done over with Christmas decorations. There were trees all over the place in different sizes, ornate centrepieces for the table, and ribbons and baubles and glitter everywhere else. There were two places set opposite each other.

“This is huge. Do nobles really need tables this big? Isn’t it a bit much, even for just the two of us?” Julian said.

“You’ve never been to my dinner parties. Yes, you do need a table this big. Trust me,” Chas said.

There were three servants in attendance. Chas and Julian took their seats as they were poured glasses of water and wine. This was going to be the biggest meal Julian had ever eaten, even more than when Chas brought back enough McDonalds to feed a standing Army.

“Do enjoy, Julian dear. Christmas dinner will be even bigger. And Andrew chose to pass this up for some computer game. I mean, honestly. I think we’re having the best time here,” Chas said.

“How do you even need this much food?” Julian said.

“I’m feeding the entire household. They get what’s leftover, and there’s always leftovers. I’d rather share with them what they helped create than make them eat substandard food, just because I’m rich and they’re poor. Why waste damn good food?” Chas said.

“I bet that isn’t a popular stance,” Julian said.

“Well, Charles doesn’t agree, and we always argue about it, but he can deal with it. You’ll see what I mean when we get there for Christmas. Then you’ll see why he’s such an arsehole,” Chas said.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Julian said.

“Good man. Now eat up, this is damn good food,” Chas said.

Julian smiled at him. Chas was simply glowing with excitement and happiness now. Julian wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him this happy. He sat back as his entrée was served before tucking in. The smell of the food had reminded him of his hunger and it looked too good not to eat. He wondered if he’d ever eat this well again back in the real world.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris goes looking for Andrew and things don't end up quite as bad as they might seem.

Chris was pleased he wasn’t on stage for once. A series of bad shows had left his confidence battered and bruised. Some audiences were unnecessarily cruel, Chris thought. He hadn’t looked that hideous in a dress, surely. Still, he could do without any more bad press before Christmas and was thankful he had no more shows to do before the New Year. It would mean he’d have to be tight with what money he did have left, but he could cope with that. He was used to near poverty anyway. It came with the territory, though Chris tried to keep the poor starving actor mentality to a minimum.

It was almost midnight. Probably after midnight. Andrew wasn’t home yet. Chris thought he perhaps should be by now. Maybe something had happened. It was a little irrational to immediately suspect Andrew’s absence meant something had happened to him, but Chris was always worried about Andrew when he had to come home by himself. You never quite knew who was out there, waiting to pounce on the newly paid actors as they left the theatre. One had to be careful and most travelled in groups to avoid being caught out alone. The more he thought about it, the more Chris was convinced he was in trouble. Unable to ignore the feeling in his gut that Andrew needed him, Chris pulled on his coat and headed back into the night.

He was lucky he knew the route Andrew always took home from the theatre. It would mean less work to find him. Not that he did see him at first. The open gate he found to one of the manor houses was suspicious, but he didn’t think it was that important. Should he call for him?

“Andrew? You alright, mate?” he called.

There was no answer. As he stood outside the gate he glanced down and noticed the gravel was uneven, as if it had been disturbed. He looked down the path and saw a lump. Perhaps it was Andrew and he’d been attacked by some drunken mob who had hated the show.

Gingerly, Chris approached, knowing he was trespassing. If he was caught, that would probably be the end of him. He was a poor struggling actor. What power did he have against these rich pricks?

“Andrew?” Chris hissed, not wanting to disturb the owners of the manor.

The lump groaned softly as Chris approached. Chris knelt next to him and tried to work out if it was him. It was hard to tell in the dark.

“Andrew?” Chris whispered. “Can you hear me?”

Stiff fingers reached out to grab Chris’. It was confirmation enough. Chris would have to carry him out. He was in dire need of help but Chris didn’t know if he’d even be able to afford it.

“Come on, Andrew, let’s get you out of here,” Chris whispered.

Andrew groaned his consent, squeaking in pain as Chris lifted him up into his arms. “Oh, please, God,” he murmured, his voice hoarse and quiet.

“Shh, we don’t want to be caught. We’re trespassing,” Chris hissed.

“Aye, I can see that. What might ye be doing on these grounds?” said a harsh Scottish voice behind him.

Chris turned to find a man standing there. He must be security for this place. They all had guards. He wasn’t surprised he’d been caught. Chris felt he was naturally unlucky like that.

“I was looking for my mate. He was home late. I found him beaten up here. I was just going to take him away. I don’t want no trouble,” Chris said, indicating his almost unconscious friend.

“Ye come wit’ me. His Lordship should like t’ know about this,” the guard said.

Chris swallowed and followed the guard inside. He was thankful Andrew wasn’t very heavy. He was taken inside the manor house. Only then in the light could they both see what a mess Andrew was in.

“Please, he needs help. I’m begging you, ask your master if he would help. We’ve got little money and he’s dying,” Chris said.

“I’ll go get ‘em. Ye wait here,” the guard said.

* * *

Chas was happily sipping tea by the fireplace. Julian sat nearby drinking whiskey. They were both recovering from dinner before they headed off to bed. The fire hadn’t actually been lit, mostly because they were, after all, in Sydney and the weather was quite warm enough, thank you. That didn’t stop Chas hanging a bunch of ludicrously decorated Christmas stockings from the mantelpiece. Chas turned in surprise as Craig entered, bowing respectfully.

“Sir, ye’ve got trespassers. One of ‘em’s been beaten up pretty bad. Ye’d better come see,” Craig said.

“Shit. Come on, Jules,” Chas said, leaving his tea behind.

They followed Craig out to find Andrew lying on the ground as Chris hunched over him, sobbing. It was a heartbreaking image. Chas ran to his side. He wasn’t going to let anyone die if he could help it, especially not Andrew.

“Is he alright? What happened?” Chas said, trying to ascertain if he was indeed dead or just unconscious.

“I-I don’t know. I just found him like that,” Chris said.

“Thankfully, he’s still breathing. We’ve got to get him some help now. Jules, help me with him. Craig, go get me a carriage,” Chas said.

“I don’t think we’ve got time for a carriage, Chas,” Julian said.

“Yes, we do. There’s one waiting outside,” Chas said, his urgent panic answering his needs.

Julian decided not to question that fact. He helped Chas carry Andrew into the waiting carriage while Chris tried not to fall to pieces. Craig had run ahead to prepare the horses and check the tack. Chas was willing to excuse his sloppy dressing in such an emergency, since Craig had been woken from his slumber as Chris had gone looking for Andrew.

“Where to, sir?” Craig said.

“Hospital. As fast as is safely possible,” Chas said.

“Right on it, sir,” Craig said.

Craig clambered up onto the coach and took the reins, spurring the horses into action. Chas and Julian cradled Andrew in their arms, hoping he would be alright while Chris tried not to cry.

* * *

The carriage sped through the streets until they got to the closest hospital. Chris was quite certain the only reason they got treatment at all was because Chas and Julian were with them and had the money and power to demand Andrew got the help he needed.

“You two are staying with me while he gets better,” Chas said as they waited for permission to go see Andrew.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t impose like that. We’d never be able to pay you back, sir,” Chris said.

“I don’t care about that. You two need a roof over your head and some good food in your bellies. Stay with me at least until he’s better, yeah? Then you can go off and do what you like,” Chas said.

“Yeah, go off and find another place to live. We’ll lose our house if we’re away that long, sir. Our landlord will give our room to someone else, sir,” Chris said.

“So, what, want me to pay rent for a while, or just offer to house you here with me?” Chas said.

“You don’t get it, do you? It’s not about that. We’re poor fucking actors. We live in a run down house in a poor part of town and struggle to survive. We don’t mix with your lot. It’s bad luck, if you'll excuse my language, Lordship,” Chris said.

“How many other nobles do you know who’d bother to look after a poor beaten up stranger at their own expense and offer them a place to live for a while? Trust me, you’re lucky he ran to me and not to some of my neighbours,” Chas said.

“I know how you and your kind work, Lordship. You take us in to gain favour from other nobles, not to give us any benefit, sir,” Chris said.

“Not gonna happen,” Chas said. “Have you two even got patrons at all?”

“Please, we’re not good enough to have patrons. Besides, I’ve just had a run of awful shows. No one would want to touch me now, let alone want to be my patron. I’ll never make it big, not now, sir,” Chris said.

“We’ll be your patrons, won’t we, Jules?” Chas said.

Chris laughed. These two seemed more foolish by the minute.

“Hey, it was just an offer. By all means, have your life continue as it has always done. It’s no skin off my back. I just thought you might appreciate the help,” Chas said.

“Yeah, find one poor unhappy soul and help them so you feel better about yourself. Charity never helps those it really needs to help, Lordship,” Chris said. His voice carried a bitterness that made Julian cringe.

“Look, I’d never force you to take my assistance. Just think about it, alright? Andrew might not be able to work for some time. How are you going to survive and afford the care he needs?” Chas said.

“We’ll manage. We always do, sir,” Chris said, though his voice lacked confidence. He hadn’t thought about income. He hadn’t had time to think about anything. If Chas was right, and Andrew couldn’t work for even a month, they’d be in trouble. Chris had never been given as much work as Andrew. To lose his money would be a big blow.

Chas didn’t press the point. He figured he’d said enough. He’d leave Chris to think about it. Maybe he’d come around later when it sunk in.

* * *

Chas insisted on letting Chris have his own time with Andrew when he was allowed to see him. He didn't want them to intrude, so they hung around outside and talked quietly. Chas had arranged to pay all their medical care. It was a debt they would never be able to afford and Chas didn't want them suffering even further.

“Have I done the right thing, Jules?” Chas said.

“Why do you ask? Anyone else with any sense of decency would do the same thing,” Julian said.

“But that's just it. It's not common. There's a power gap here that developed all of its own accord, so now I have to deal with that,” Chas said.

“What if it wasn't Chris and Andrew? What if it was a couple of random strangers? Would you still help them then?” Julian said.

“Of course I would. Why wouldn't I? If someone's bleeding and dying in my hallway, I'm not just going to let them die. Jesus, Julian, I'm not heartless, you know. I've got power in this world. It's only fair I try and use it the best way I can,” Chas said.

“Think Chris will take you up on your offer?” Julian said.

“I hope so. I don't want them starving. I doubt Chris would be able to keep them alive and afford his medical care. I just don't see it happening. I hope the fucker sees sense and comes to stay with me. It's the best chance Andrew has for surviving this,” Chas said.

“Me too. Then again, Chris isn't always known for his sensible decisions,” Julian said.

“I hope Andrew's okay. I don't want him dying, not this close to Christmas. Besides, I don't know if he'll feel the injuries back in our world. I know I've felt injuries between worlds, but I come and go, they don't. So I don't know if it will even affect them,” Chas said.

“Should we go back and find out? Just to make sure? Those were some pretty significant injuries. If time passes along a similar time line, then maybe injuries do too,” Julian said.

“Have you ever had any dreams about this place? If you're not aware of it, then perhaps the others don't and maybe the injuries won't cross over,” Chas said.

“If I did dream of it, I can't remember it. So maybe I didn't?” Julian said.

“Let's assume it doesn't cross over. Just for my sanity,” Chas said.

“Right. Good idea. So what now?” Julian said.

“We wait. Nothing else to do,” Chas said.

* * *

Chris tried not to cry. Andrew lay there in his hospital bed, sleeping. His wounds had been treated, and now all there was to do was rest and heal. Chas' words had stirred panic in him. Andrew really didn't look like he'd heal quickly at all. How could they possibly survive on only one income? Chris would have to have shows constantly to make up the difference, and he wasn't sure that was even possible, not for him. He didn't think he was good enough to sustain that much work. He wanted to cry as he realised he'd be failing Andrew if he refused Chas' help.

“Hey, Andrew. We're going to stay in a big house for a while. I know I promised to look after you but this? This is beyond me. I just can't afford it. So we're going to stay in a big house because that noble who rescued us is going to look after us. I'm sorry, Andrew. I failed you. But don't worry, you'll get better and we'll find a house to live in again and get back to work, okay? We'll tread the boards again soon enough,” Chris said.

Andrew didn't move, but Chris didn't mind. He had a feeling he'd heard him. He stroked his hand gently with his thumb. Soon, he would go and relent and tell Chas he accepted his offer. But first he needed to spend some time with his Andrew.

* * *

Chas and Julian had gone home, leaving Chris alone at the hospital to be with Andrew. Chas didn’t want him to feel pressured, so he left him with his address and the carriage and an invitation to come by if he needed him. Julian wasn’t sure it was a good idea to leave Chris with a fairly expensive carriage, but Chas had faith in him.

They’d spent an anxious night asleep together. Neither was sure Andrew would live, though Chas was prepared to spare no expense to make sure he did.

They lay in bed as the morning light streamed in. Chas leant into his arms, wishing for his reassurance. He didn’t like the thought of Andrew dying. Andrew couldn’t die. Chas still wasn’t sure if injuries carried over either. If he returned to his world and found Andrew dead or dying, he wasn’t sure he could forgive himself.

“So what are we doing today then?” Julian said quietly, not wishing to disturb the peace.

“I dunno. I mean, we’re not due at Charles’ place for a few days. Got nothing else to do, not really. I mean, apart from making sure Andrew doesn’t die on me,” Chas said.

“Show me around the city then. That’ll take your mind off things. It’s not like this version of Sydney is familiar to me,” Julian suggested, brushing his fingers down Chas’ cheek.

“Alright. That might be fun. I haven’t gone exploring for a while now,” Chas said, a little happier.

“Well, what better time than now, since I am no longer your absent cousin,” Julian said, pressing a soft kiss to his neck.

“You sure we can’t just stay here and fuck?” Chas said.

“We could, but that wouldn’t be productive. Besides, we did enough of that last night. Ask me when we get back,” Julian said.

“Okay, Jules. We’ll go out exploring,” Chas said with a grin as he rolled over to kiss him.

Another few kisses later and they finally got out of bed. Any longer and they’d have been dragged out by force, though Julian had a feeling Chas wouldn’t mind that all that much.

* * *

They dressed in some of their finest clothes – Julian had restrained himself enough not to ask why they needed rapiers and sword belts and why Chas’ tricorn had a ludicrous amount of feathers in it, they ate a hearty breakfast, fed the dogs and stepped out into the sunshine. It was a beautiful day. There were a few clouds around, but they were wispy and fine and would bring no rain.

“So, shall we take a walk, Baron?” Chas said.

“Is it safe for us to walk around? Aren’t you worried about walking amongst the poor when we look so rich?” Julian said.

“Fear not, cousin! I shall fend off anyone who attacks us with my ninja-like rapier skills!” Chas said, stepping forward as he unsheathed his sword and swung it in the air. Flailing a little too wildly almost sent his hat flying off and he clamped a hand down on top of it as he struggled to keep his composure and not fall flat on his face in front of Julian.

“I think we should take a carriage,” Julian said, resisting the urge to laugh.

“What, and not get any exercise at all? No, good sir, we shall walk! We are smart enough to look after ourselves, though if it’ll make you feel better, we’ll stick to the high town. Besides, I do this all the time. It’s totally safe,” Chas said, straightening his hat.

“Look, I just don’t want you getting into any trouble, not when we’ve got Chris and Andrew to take care of. I know what you’re like,” Julian said.

“Maybe we’ll go see them this afternoon after we’ve had a little walk. That might be fun,” Chas said. He slid his sword back into its sheath as he wandered down to the path leading to the front gate.

“How would that be fun exactly?” Julian said, following him.

“Well, I dunno, we might cheer them up. I could flail and fall over again. That might work,” Chas said.

“There’s no end to your enthusiasm, is there?” Julian said.

“Not on your life, Jules. You should know that by now,” Chas said.

* * *

The matter settled, they left the gardens and took the footpath down to the right. Chas bounded along happily, greeting everyone he met with a tip of his hat or a sweeping bow. Julian tried to keep up to prevent him getting thumped if someone took it the wrong way. Another few turns down narrow alleyways and Chas stopped outside a small theatre.

“I’m guessing Chris and Andrew do shows here, yes?” Julian said.

“Oh yes. I go see them when I can. They’re very good. Would you like a look inside?” Chas said, gesturing inside.

“Uh, sure. Why not?” Julian said.

“Excellent. I thought you might,” Chas said. He grabbed Julian’s arm and pulled him up the few steps towards the doors. He tipped his hat to the doorman as they entered.

It was an old theatre indeed. At least it looked it. The carpet was richly coloured still but not as plush as it once was. Gold leaf covered the columns and pillars on the walls, and other ornate fittings around the place. The décor was very restrained and beautiful. A small blackboard set against the bottom stair announced the current shows playing in the theatre. There was no candy bar, no bar of any kind, and the stairs branched off in two directions, one for the ordinary folk and one for richer patrons.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I love this place. So glad I bought it,” Chas said as he stared up at the ceiling, counting the little crystals that made up the chandelier above them.

“You bought this place? Why?” Julian said.

“It has character. Besides, it’s supposed to be haunted. I scared Charles in here one day. It was awesome fun. He’s never quite forgiven me for that. Oh, but you must come and see the theatre. It’s gorgeous,” Chas said.

So up the stairs they went as they pushed through the doors to the theatre. It was dark; a few stage lights flooded the room as the company did last minute rehearsals before the show that night. Chas slowed, not wanting to make his presence immediately known. The stage itself was quite large for the size of the theatre and had quite possibly the most extravagant set of curtains drawn back to the sides framed by more gold leaf and decoration.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Chas whispered.

“What’s beautiful?” Julian murmured.

“The theatre! Isn’t it gorgeous?” Chas said, still in awe of its beauty.

“It’s very beautiful,” Julian said.

Cha took his hat off to admire the place without a fringe of feathers getting in the way. “Oh, come on, I gotta show you backstage. There’s this one little room…”

Chas’ voice trailed off as he pulled Julian down the aisles towards the stage. Julian gave hurried apologies as they interrupted the rehearsal. Chas led him through a door and down a couple of flights of stairs into the guts of the theatre. They stopped outside a door that had nothing but strange marks scratched into it.

“Are you sure we should go in there?” Julian said.

“Oh, it’s fine. The door just got beaten up a little. That was before I owned the place. I must get that door replaced. It does frighten some people,” Chas said.

“It looks like some sort of vicious dog tried to claw its way inside,” Julian said.

“Yeah, it does a little, now that you mention it. I’ll mention it to the guys and get it fixed,” Chas said.

“So what was it you wanted to show me anyway?” Julian said.

“Oh, it’s through here. Come on,” Chas said, opening the door to a dark room.

Chas lit a lantern and set it on a nearby table. Julian stood in the doorway as Chas headed over to a large wooden chest and opened the lid, pushing it back til it rested against the wall.

“Bring the lantern over, Jules,” Chas said as he rummaged around in the box, searching for what he wanted.

Julian grabbed the lantern and knelt beside him, making sure the light shone into the chest. There were a lot of boxes and other odds and ends in there.

“What are you looking for exactly?” Julian said.

“Gimme a sec. I’ll show you. It’s around here somewhere,” Chas said, making a pile of boxes beside him. “Wait, I think this is it.” Chas grabs out a small wooden box and holds it in the light to check it’s the right one.

“What’s in there?” Julian said.

“I’m just about to check,” Chas said, easing the lid open. It creaked as its hinges were forced into use again. “Aha! Yes, this is the box. Here, take a look at these,” he said, tipping out a deck of cards into Julian’s hand.

“What kind of cards are these?” Julian said, looking at them. They were old and battered, but still seemed to be in good condition. He went through the deck card by card, intrigued by the strange designs on them.

“Tarot cards. I have no idea how old they are,” Chas said.

“Tarot cards?” Julian couldn’t help a twinge of worry as he held them. There was still a part of his so-not-Catholic self that gave him such reactions still. “Why are we looking at tarot cards?”

“Everyone looks at tarot cards. Come on, I’ll go get Karaly to read for us,” Chas said.

“We’re going to read them? Why?” Julian said.

“Why not? You might learn something interesting. Come on, put them back in the box and we’ll get out of here,” Chas said.

Julian wasn’t convinced, but set the cards back in the box anyway. He was getting used to humouring Chas now. If it made him happy, and all that jazz. Chas shut the box and slipped it into his jacket pocket. Julian held the lantern up as Chas packed everything back into the chest before he shut the lid and led them out of the room again.

“Right, this way. She’ll be out the front, I think,” Chas said.

“Do I still need to hold this?” Julian said, holding the lantern up.

“Oh, just leave it in there and extinguish it. That one generally lives in there,” Chas said.

“Right, fair enough,” Julian said. He opened the door again as he slipped the extinguished lantern inside, setting it on the nearest flat surface he could find.

“Come on then. She’ll be waiting. She somehow always manages to know when I’m coming to ask her to read for me,” Chas said, patting the pocket which held the box of cards.

* * *

Andrew had woken up and lay in bed, groggy and tired. He was pleased Chris was there with him. He did feel better though. He was surprised he was still alive. He was quite convinced he would die out there. Who had even rescued him? Chris was resting on his bed, head buried in his arms. Andrew smiled at him.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Andrew said, patting him gently on top of his head.

Chris groaned as he woke and looked up at Andrew. He smiled as he saw him awake. “Hey. You okay?”

“I’ll live. How did I end up here anyway? I don’t really remember much apart from getting bashed up,” Andrew said.

“I found you lying in the grounds of some manor house and thankfully, the lord that lived there decided you were worth rescuing. He’s paying for your treatment and he’s offered us a room at his manor while you get back on your feet again. I wasn’t going to take his offer, but there’s just no way I’d ever be able to afford it on my own. I hope you’re not mad at me,” Chris said.

“Why would I be mad at you? You did what you needed to do, and I’m thankful for the reprieve. You never know, it might be nice to live in a manor house for a while. What kind of man is he anyway?” Andrew said.

“Eccentric. But he seems nice enough,” Chris said.

“That’s good. How have you been anyway?” Andrew said.

“Tired. I’ve been so worried about you. Didn’t know if you’d even be okay. It’s good to see you awake though,” Chris said.

“How did you know to come and find me anyway? I thought I was going to die,” Andrew said.

“I didn’t. But you were late and my gut told me to go look for you. And that’s when I found you,” Chris said.

“That was lucky. You want to go find me some food? I’m kinda hungry,” Andrew said.

“I’ll see what I can find,” Chris said. He got up and pressed a kiss to Andrew’s forehead before he left to find food.

* * *

Karaly was indeed waiting for them as Chas and Julian as they approached the ticket counter. There wasn’t a show for another few hours, so there wasn’t much going on in the theatre.

“Got the cards then? Anything on your mind you want to ask about?” Karaly said, coming out to meet them.

“I’ll tell you in a minute. Where are we reading today?” Chas said.

“Where we always read. Back here,” Karaly said.

They headed into a store room that was never used as such. It had a low table and some chairs and a few lanterns. Karaly closed the door. The room wasn’t dark; there was light streaming in from a small window at the back of the room. It still seemed a little eerie though.

“Get the lanterns lit while I prepare the cards,” Karaly said.

Chas handed over the cards and got to work lighting the lanterns. Julian sat down, still sceptical about the whole thing. Catholic guilt was making him want to run away from such occult things, but his common sense made him stay put. Maybe it’d be harmless anyway. It wasn’t like he believed anymore.

“Right. We have sparkly light,” Chas said, sitting down next to Julian.

Karaly glanced up at them as she shuffled the cards. She spread them out on the table and picked them up again, making sure they were thoroughly shuffled.

“What did you wish to ask? Don’t confuse the cards with two questions either. Just one, for now,” Karaly said.

“I just want to know what next year’s going to be like,” Chas said.

“Anything more specific?” Karaly said.

“Nope. Just a general fortune reading thanks,” Chas said.

“Alright. Shuffle the cards and pick out five,” Karaly said, handing him the deck of cards.

Chas looked down at them as he shuffled through the cards himself. After a while, he dealt one face down before picking out five cards, laying them beside each other face down on the table.

Karaly took the deck back before overturning the cards one by one. “The Fool. Ten of wands reversed. The Sun reversed. Six of swords. Two of coins. And this is not a reading for you, but for your Duke friend,” she said, announcing each one as she overturned it.

“Charles? This is about Charles? Why?” Chas said.

“The cards say so. You are apparently a messenger now,” Karaly said.

“He’s not going to like this, is he?” Chas said, gazing at the cards.

“That’s up to him. But he may not be as happy next year. Things are brewing. Trouble is coming. He needs to be careful not to upset anyone or get into any deals that smell bad. Friends might come from strange corners, so he’d better be prepared to be civil to any and everyone. Some may only offer friendship once before they’re turned against him for good. I don’t see it getting better any time soon. The next eighteen months are going to shake him up a lot. He’d better be prepared,” Karaly said.

“I almost don’t want to tell him. I reckon he has it coming, personally. I mean, I love him, but he is one hell of an arsehole,” Chas said.

“You too need to be careful that he doesn’t bring you down with him. Be careful with your finances. You might also have some down time, but it won’t be as bad as his, at least not from this point in time. Ask me again in a month and things might be different,” Karaly said.

“I’m always careful with my money. I’ve never invested in any of his crazy schemes. I know better than that,” Chas said.

“Keep your wits about you. There’s a suggestion of some sort of new relationship for you as well, though I’m not sure of the context. The cards are vague on that point,” Karaly said.

“How charming. Well that should be fun to discover. Anything else you can tell me?” Chas said.

“Not really. That’s about it. Would you like a reading?” Karaly said, addressing Julian.

“Ahh, no. I’ll be right,” Julian said.

“He’s a bit sceptical. Don’t mind him,” Chas said. “Now, shall we go find something to eat? I’m famished. What about you? Shall we head in to see Andrew after that?” he said, turning to Julian.

“Sounds good to me,” Julian said.

Karaly gathered up the cards. “Shall I put them away for you, sir?”

“If you wouldn’t mind. Thanks love,” Chas said.

“You coming to the performance tonight?” Karaly said.

“Yeah, we’ll be around. Keep our box free,” Chas said.

“I’ll get it prepared for you. Have a good day, sirs,” Karaly said.

Karaly bowed as Chas and Julian left the room and headed back out of the theatre into the street again. The sun was still out but there were more people around now. Julian wondered how long it would be before Chas was tired out for good as he was dragged into yet another building, apparently some sort of restaurant, where they would be eating. In the end, Julian really didn’t mind. Chas seemed happy enough and the way would bring what it would. Besides, he just had to look at Chas’ hat to cheer himself up. It really was the most ridiculous looking hat he’d ever seen. Not even the best Melbourne Cup hat could beat that monstrosity of feathers and gilded thread.

* * *

Julian and Chas indulged in a long lunch before taking a carriage over to the hospital to see Chris and Andrew. Julian had to talk Chas out of stopping on the way to buy presents. It might seem a little much all at once. Maybe give them something for Christmas later on? That Chas could live with. They found Andrew alone in his room reading. He looked up and smiled as they entered.

“Are you the Lord whose garden I ended up being beaten up in?” Andrew said.

“Yeah, that’s me. Sorry it took me a while to come see you. I’m Lord Hollingworth. This is my cousin. He’s a Baron. How are you feeling anyway?” Chas said, perching on the bed next to him.

“Yeah, not too bad. Finally got Chris to give me a bit of space. He’s off doing whatever he does in his spare time. Is it true we’re going to come live with you, sir?” Andrew said.

“The offer’s still good. Just while you get better, if you like. I feel like it’s my responsibility to make sure you’re alright and get proper care. You did get attacked in my garden,” Chas said.

“That’s very generous of you, sir. I must find a way to repay you,” Andrew said.

“Don’t worry about it. Think of it as a gift from your new patron,” Chas said.

“You sure you want to be my patron? Surely there are more deserving actors out there than me. I’m nothing special, sir,” Andrew said.

“I believe in you. And Chris. I saw your last show. You’re quite brilliant,” Chas said.

“I’m honoured, sir. I really am,” Andrew said.

“Hey, I know talent when I see it. You must tell me where Chris performs. I haven’t been able to see him yet,” Chas said.

“We’ll do a show for you while we’re staying with you. I’ll make him do something terribly embarrassing in a dress. You’ll adore it to bits, sir,” Andrew said with a grin.

“I like the way you think. I’ve got a room you can use to rehearse in. I’ll show you when you get out of here. Hey, do they think you’ll be out for Christmas?” Chas said.

“I’m not sure. I’m not hurt as badly as they first thought, so it’s possible. Thankfully, I was just bruised and bloodied. I’ll live, even if my head aches something chronic. Why do you ask, sir?” Andrew said.

“Oh, I was going to invite you and Chris to Christmas dinner at my friend’s estate, but if you’re not going to be up for it, I’ll save my own celebrations for when you do get out, so it’ll be special,” Chas said.

“You don’t need to do that, sir. I wouldn’t want to spoil your Christmas for you. I doubt we’d fit in at your friend’s party anyway. We’re just poor actors. We’re not sophisticated like you, sir,” Andrew said.

“I’ll arrange everything. I’ll give you a carriage, some new clothes and I’m sure you can use your great acting talent to fit in. I promise it’ll be awesome. So, think you’re up for it?” Chas said.

“Feel free to say no, Andrew. It won’t dent his enthusiasm much,” Julian said.

“I’ll see how I’m feeling in a day or two. Then I’ll make a decision. I don’t want to push myself, sir,” Andrew said. “Would you mind if I bid you goodbye for the moment? I’m rather tired still, sirs.”

“Oh, certainly. We won’t keep you any longer. I just wanted to see how you were and have a talk at last. I’ll drop by later. You get better soon,” Chas said.

Chas made a sweeping bow as he put his hat on again, marching out in a most childlike manner. Julian smiled and shook his head at Andrew as he followed him out. Chas kept marching down the corridor. Julian had to scold him and tell him off for wanting to swing his sword around as he went. They were still, after all, in a hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas dinners, dresses, Charles and drunken smuttiness before Julian reminds Chas they can't actually stay here forever and have to return.

Andrew had to count himself very lucky. Here he was, at his new house, finally discharged from hospital and he was getting ready for quite possibly the most extravagant Christmas dinner he’d probably ever attend. Chris was helping him dress as Andrew was still a little fragile and stiff.

Chas had left them beautiful outfits made from very fine and expensive cloth. They only ever saw imitations of these for costumes, but these were the genuine article. Andrew admired them a lot. The material was so soft and beautiful. He could get used to staying in this manor house.

“You look wonderful,” Chris said, looking him over.

“Thanks. You look great too,” Andrew said. “We can pull this off, can’t we? Pretend to be nobles?”

“Sure. Why not? We’ve done it on stage many times before,” Chris said.

“But this is different. This isn’t a play. This is real life. What if we mess up? They could destroy us if they feel we’re being dishonest with them and trying to con them,” Andrew said.

“Don’t worry. Lord Hollingworth said he’d protect us. He’s not done anything to make us think he won’t so far. I trust him, and I rarely trust nobles, so you know I’m not lying,” Chris said.

“Okay. I’ll stop worrying. After all, it is Christmas. We’re very lucky to be taken to such a party,” Andrew said.

“Someone's smiling upon us, that's for sure. Don't feel bad, alright? Sometimes, you need to ask for help when you need it, and a generous offer like this doesn't come around much at all. And we now have patrons. We are truly blessed,” Andrew said.

“I know. It’s a dream come true. How great is it to have patrons at last? We could get into decent shows, not the cheap stuff we do now. A proper show, Andrew, in a proper theatre with a proper audience. How great would that be?” Chris said.

“It’d be wonderful. We'll still have to prove ourselves though. Just having patrons will never be enough. We need to prove we deserve them, and that will be the real test,” Andrew said.

“I know. I'm trying to ignore that. You've always been better than me anyway. You'll make it big, I just know it,” Chris said.

“You'll be fine once you get over your nerves. Remember, if we don't perform well, we fucking starve, and you know exactly what that feels like, so don't waste this opportunity. Very few actors in our league are ever offered this much. It's our duty to take it while it's here and not screw it up,” Andrew said.

“I know, I know. I'm just scared, that's all. I don't trust nobles to stay true to their word. I just don't want us getting screwed over,” Chris said.

“It'll be fine, alright? I thought you just said you trusted him anyway?” Andrew said.

“Okay, I kinda trust him. He seems alright at any rate. Now let's get going. We've got dinner waiting for us,” Chris said.

* * *

Chas and Julian were waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in their own finery. Chas still had the tricorn with the huge feathers. Julian hadn’t been able to convince him not to wear it, though he had convinced him taking his sword was possibly not a good idea, not when it was certain everyone would get drunk. Weapons and drunken egotistical nobles were never a good combination.

Chas looked up as Chris and Andrew descended down the stairs, arms linked together. Chris looked very dashing indeed, like a proper Prince Charming, while Andrew was the picture of a beautiful Princess. Chas grinned. He knew he’d picked the right outfits. Andrew even had a small silver tiara to wear.

“You look gorgeous. You’d better be careful. Everyone will want a piece of you two,” Chas said. “Shall we?”

“Certainly. Is it just us going then?” Chris said.

“Oh, wait, Craig. Where is he anyway? We can’t go without them,” Chas said.

“Good thing too. I’m right here. The kids are asleep. They’re being looked after by Margot. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t think they were up for a huge party, and I don’t want to risk losing them in a gigantic manor house, sir,” Craig said, walking up to them with his wife by his side. They were dressed splendidly as well.

“No, no, that’s fine. Come on then. The carriage awaits us,” Chas said.

They headed out to the front of the house, where Chas’ biggest carriage waited for them. It was painted white, red and green and gilded extensively, though it was by far not as ornate as a royal coach. It was as much as he could get away with without insulting the King.

“After you,” Chas said, opening the door and allowing his guests to step inside first, acting as footman.

Andrew stepped inside first, assisted by Chris. Craig and Keisha followed, with Chas allowing Julian to get in before him. Finally ready, Chas stuck his head out the window and called for the driver to get going. And off they went, heading for Charles’ manor and a most excellent dinner party.

* * *

Still a little stiff and sore, Chris helped Andrew out of the carriage and into the huge mansion they arrived at. It was quite possibly the biggest house they'd ever seen. The doorman opened the door for them as they were greeted by the butler. Chas pulled them along, interrupting their admiration.

“This way, sirs and madam, the Duke awaits you,” the butler said.

They were escorted down to the drawing room. Charles was standing by the window, gazing out at the world. Apparently, they were either the first to arrive, or the Duke was seeing them separately.

“Ahh, my dear Lords, how good of you to come. A warm welcome to you and your guests!” the Duke said as he heard them enter. He turned to face them and opened his arms to them, smiling kindly.

“How lovely of you to give us a private audience. I swear this place has gotten bigger since the last time I was here,” Chas said, pulling the Duke into a tight hug.

“You had to wear that hat, didn’t you? Merry Christmas,” the Duke said.

“Of course. It is my best hat, after all. These are genuine swan feathers. Or something. You can’t just wear this hat anywhere,” Chas said.

“You’d have fun proving you could though,” Julian said.

“It’s part of my charm. This is my cousin, Baron Julian, the one I keep telling you about,” Chas said.

“It is good to meet you at last, Baron. I was beginning to think you were his imaginary friend,” Duke Charles said.

“I've been away a lot. Abroad,” Julian said.

“Yes, he did mention you had been travelling. Where have you been visiting?” Duke Charles said.

“Oh, Africa, India, New Guinea. I've been looking for bird specimens to bring home and a friend of mine took me to see Roman ruins. Marvellous stuff,” Julian said. It was a total lie, but neither seemed to care.

“You might do well to avoid Asia. Terrible trouble there. It's safer in Africa, apparently. Heard tell of some marvellously strange creatures in Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa. It might interest you,” Duke Charles said.

“It might indeed. I had intended to travel there eventually,” Julian said, nodding his agreement.

“So, who are these delightful creatures you’ve brought with you? Greetings, Duke Charles of Sydney. It’s an honour to make your acquaintance,” the Duke said, taking Andrew’s hand to kiss it as he bowed to him.

“It’s an honour to meet you, Your Lordship,” Andrew said, curtseying to him.

“You, my dear, are going to sit beside me. I like your style,” the Duke said.

“Thank you, sir. It would be my pleasure,” Andrew said. “Oh, this is Chris, and I’m Andrew. We’re staying with Lord Hollingworth.”

“Ahh, he has excellent taste in house guests. And who might this ravishing creature be?” the Duke said, turning his attention to Craig and his wife.

“Craig McRuer, sir, and my wife, Keisha. It’s an honour to be here,” Craig said, introducing himself and his wife.

“You are most welcome,” Duke Charles said.

“Hey, is anyone else coming? I don’t think you ever told me how big a party this would be,” Chas said.

“A few other Lords and Ladies it would be rude of me not to invite. A party of around 20, or so I’m told. Don’t worry, you shall all be afforded the respect you deserve,” Duke Charles said.

“So are we first then?” Chas said.

“It would seem so. Ahh, drinks. Please, help yourself to some champagne. It’s a fine import from France,” the Duke said as a servant entered, carrying a tray of drinks.

* * *

As more guests arrived, so Chris found it easier to sneak Andrew aside to talk to him. He hadn’t been happy with the Duke’s advances and wanted to remind Andrew who he was actually with. Chris found a small room nearby and dragged Andrew in, denying him a third glass of champagne.

“Chris, hey, what’s up?” Andrew said, broad grin on his face.

“You and the Duke. I do hope you’re not going to spend the whole evening flirting with him,” Chris said.

“It is not wise to reject a Duke, good sir, not in our position. But if it’ll make you happy, I’ll refrain from going to bed with him and merely enjoy his company all evening. You, sir, need to pay attention to that Craig. He’s been staring at you since we got here,” Andrew said.

“Craig’s married, or didn’t you notice? Besides, I don’t want him. I want you,” Chris said.

“I shall entertain the Duke tonight. You shall entertain Craig. Tomorrow, it all goes back to normal. Deal?” Andrew said.

“Okay. But no sleeping with him. You’re still recovering. Don’t push yourself, alright?” Chris said.

“I won’t. I want to act again too badly to put that in danger. I’ll be fine. I can look after myself,” Andrew said.

Chris kissed him. “Please do. I don’t want to have to carry you out of here because you can’t walk.”

“I’ll be fine. I don’t need coddling,” Andrew said.

With a final smirk, Andrew sauntered out again and back to the party, leaving Chris in the room alone. Chris looked up to see Craig standing there.

“I suppose you heard all that,” Chris said.

“Heard what? Are ye arright?” Craig said.

“Fine. I’m totally fine,” Chris said.

“Are not, grumpy pants,” Craig said, stepping inside. “Want me t’ cheer ye up?”

“I am so going to regret this, aren’t I?” Chris said.

“That’s up t’ ye, no’ me,” Craig said, pulling Chris close as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Damn you and your bloody accent,” Chris said.

Craig chuckled and brought Chris into a soft kiss. “Ye behave now, or I’ll have t’ punish ye when we get back and flog ye in them stables,” he murmured.

Chris just kissed back. Let Andrew flirt with a Duke if it made him happy. Chris had a perfectly suitable distraction. Craig’s hands sunk inside his coat as they slowly undid the buttons. Craig was determined to have his way with this actor, and Chris found little worth complaining about.

* * *

Dinner was soon called once all the guests had arrived and were suitably tanked up on champagne. The Duke summoned everyone together, welcomed them all to his estate, wished them a merry Christmas and led everyone to the dining room. And what a room it was. Julian thought Chas’ dining room was a bit much. This was a thousand times worse, mostly because it was three times the size and had room for much bigger trees and decorations. There were even expensive looking baubles hanging from the chandeliers.

“Wow. This is incredible, don’t you think?” Chas said, gazing up at all the gilded splendour.

“Yeah, and I thought yours was bad enough,” Julian said.

“I think it’s lovely,” Chas said.

“And expensive,” Julian said.

“Well, yes, but he does have a much bigger estate than me,” Chas said.

“Feeling like moving up in the world, are we?” Julian said.

“No, my manor at present is big enough. And it’s in town and close to my theatre. I don’t want to move further out to a bigger estate that will just cost me more to maintain,” Chas said. “Ooh, look, that’s where we’re sitting.” Chas pointed at the name plates next to Charles’ wife.

Everyone had begun taking their seats as the servants attended to them. Chas sat down and greeted Charles’ wife warmly, introducing Julian to her. Julian watched as Charles personally escorted Andrew to his seat and let him sit down before taking his own seat.

“Lucky you, getting to almost sit next to the host,” Julian murmured.

“What? He is a close friend to me. It’s only fitting. I see Andrew actually gets to sit next to him. How special. I did notice those two hitting it off rather well. Must’ve been the dress Andrew’s wearing. I had a feeling that dress would work,” Chas said.

“She does look gorgeous. What does she do anyway? Is she married to someone?” said the Lady sitting next to Julian.

“I don’t know if she’s married. It is a lovely gown though,” Julian conceded, not willing to break the illusion. Even he had found Andrew remarkably attractive in that outfit, though he’d never admit it.

“I am so telling Andrew about this later tonight,” Chas whispered to Julian as he tried to refrain from laughing. Poor Andrew, being mistaken for a woman.

“Don’t be too hard on him. He’s still recovering,” Julian hissed back.

Chas just looked at him, flashing his puppy eyes at him. “Aww, Jules, I wasn’t gonna be mean to him, just taunt him a bit.”

“Quit with the puppy eyes. We are having dinner. I will not maul you until we’re back at your manor in the privacy of your bedroom,” Julian said, being firm with him.

“Spoilsport,” Chas said.

Chas’ grumpiness didn’t last as their first course was served to them. Food was always a good distraction, and in some form of payback, Chas did his best to eat as erotically as he could without making it too obvious to everyone. He knew it had worked when Julian kicked him under the table and hissed at him to quit it. Chas just laughed and kept eating. Teasing Julian was a million flavours of fun.

* * *

Dinner lasted possibly longer than a normal dinner ought to last, and soon, everyone retired for cigars, brandy, and after-dinner mints. Chris and Andrew had been goaded (without too much effort) to put on an impromptu performance, and now Chris was giving a drunken monologue from some Shakespearean play Chas couldn’t remember or identify while Andrew attempted to distract him with chaotic piano music just when he was trying to remember the next line. Over to one side, Craig crouched as he waited for his part. He wasn’t much of an actor, but Chris had been too hard to refuse and how he found himself in a most beautiful gown belonging to the Duke’s wife, trying to remember the tune he was supposed to be singing next.

Chas was snuggled into Julian’s arms as he watched them. They’d fitted in perfectly, especially when the other guests discovered they were actors. Drunken nobles do adore entertainers rather a lot.

“It’s been a great night, hasn’t it?” Chas said, before laughing at Chris mixing up his lines.

“It’s certainly been a night to remember,” Julian conceded. “How did you know they’d all get on so well?”

“I didn’t. I just prayed they would and that Charles would stop being an arsehole for one night. I think Andrew helped that. They seem to have a lot of affection for each other. I think he might be getting a new patron,” Chas said.

“I think that’s a distinct possibility. You’re not going to be mad, are you?” Julian said.

“Hey, as long as they’re looked after, I don’t much care who their patron is, especially since you’re here and are proving to be a more than adequate distraction,” Chas said.

“Not my fault you have the attention span of a flea,” Julian said.

“Take it off! This lord demands it!” Chas called as Craig sauntered in, playing with his dress as if he was still undecided about stripping it off.

There was a chorus of similar chants as Craig acted all coy and shy, a finger tracing the hem of his dress, as if afraid to go further. Chas had a feeling this sort of situation would be frowned upon in most sober polite society, but fuck it, it was Christmas, and they were all pissed and very well fed. If they wanted to see a very attractive male servant in a dress coyly stripping for them then by the Gods it would happen.

Andrew was really getting them worked up now as he encouraged Craig while Chris tried to protect his dignity. It was all going well until Craig and Andrew turned on Chris and tried to make him strip instead. All while Andrew sung every one of the filthiest drinking songs he knew. It seemed the most appropriate soundtrack.

* * *

Chas wasn’t even sure he knew what time it was when they finally all piled into their carriage to go home. They’d had the fun of trying to help Craig get back in his suit before they could leave, which was an adventure when no one had perfect balance and kept falling over on top of each other. Julian’s decision not to let Chas bring his sword was indeed a very good idea, Chas decided. The last thing he wanted was to fall over and fall on his own sword.

As they all stumbled out with the other guests, Charles waving them all goodbye, the cool air began to chill them. Chas helped everyone get into the carriage in one go. As for the time, well, it was still dark, of that everyone agreed, but no one could make out where the hands of his pocket watch were pointing.

They were still rather boisterous and noisy when they arrived home. Chas showed them all to their rooms before dragging Julian off to his own bedroom. Time to release all that fucking tension he’d had the stupidity to let build all evening.

* * *

Chris and Andrew were very pleased with their room. It was very large and had a very comfortable bed in it. Staggering in, they kissed and tried to hit the bed and not fall to the floor. Andrew flopped down onto the bed hard. The dress had been a tad restrictive and he was eager to be out of it. How he’d managed to get by and not faint or pass out was anyone’s guess. He cringed as the pain settled again. His body was still sore and being almost thrown onto the bed hadn’t helped matters, not when there was whalebone lining his torso.

“Shit, you okay?” Chris said, suddenly realising he had been a little too rough with him.

“Get me the fuck out of this fucking dress. Ow. Jesus Christ,” Andrew groaned.

“Ahaha, okay, uh, roll over so I can get you out of it then,” Chris said, trying to stand up.

Andrew rolled over, cringing as the whalebone cut into his ribs. Not cool. How women dealt with this was anyone’s guess. Andrew thought it was a fucking nightmare.

Chris did his best to untie the laces at the back. It was a struggle, since he couldn’t quite manage to coordinate his fingers properly and had to use his teeth at one point. Eventually, the corset had been loosened and Andrew gratefully slipped free, gazing down at his body as he saw some of the bruises there.

“Ugh. I am never wearing that again. Go find me something to sleep in,” Andrew said, tending to his bruises.

“I’ll get you a silk nightie, Princess,” Chris said with a grin as he fished around in the chest of drawers. It took him three tries to find the right drawer, but he managed it and threw Andrew something to sleep in.

“What the hell is this?” Andrew said, trying to work out which way was up. He held the item of clothing up, but that didn’t help either.

“Uh, I think it goes this way,” Chris said, turning it around.

“Uh, yeah, I think so. Now it looks right,” Andrew said as he slipped the shirt on. Back to front. “A little tight around the neck, love.”

“Pull your arms in. Let me fix that,” Chris said.

What followed was some sort of attempt at fixing it which ended with Andrew pinned to the bed and the shirt stuck between his head and one arm as Chris tried unsuccessfully to turn the shirt around.

“Fuck it. Forget about clothes. I just wanna sleep,” Andrew decided. He wasn’t sure he was up for another attempt at dressing.

“Mmkay, you just crawl into bed then and I’ll join you,” Chris said, slipping his jacket off.

Andrew scrambled up the bed and pushed the covers aside as he slipped under them. He did his best to get rid of the thick doona and the blankets. He did not need to be that hot. Not when Chris was drunkenly stripping before him. He’d managed to avoid it during their performance earlier, but not now. Andrew was in hysterics. Chris was acting even sleazier than normal, especially when he stumbled as he tried to step out of his pants.

“Oi, quit laughing. I’m doing this for you, sexylegs,” Chris said. He pushed the unwanted doona and blankets off the end of the bed before he crawled up next to Andrew.

“You, sir, are drunk,” Andrew said, petting his nose.

“And what makes you so sure you aren’t?” Chris said.

“I’m never drunk. I’m too classy for that,” Andrew said, nodding his head emphatically.

“Sure you aren’t. Lemme kiss you. I’ve wanted you all night, but you were all occupied. Now you’re all mine again,” Chris said, pulling Andrew into a kiss.

* * *

Julian lay on the bed, utterly content. All he wanted to do was sleep. He just had to convince Chas that was a better idea than drunken sex. His attempts hadn’t been all that successful so far. Chas was still sucking the skin on his belly as he tried to coax some arousal out of him.

“Chas, will you leave it?” Julian snapped, trying not to sound too angry.

Chas looked up, not happy that his Julian wasn’t happy. “Not interested?”

“Not right now. Can’t it wait til morning? And when are we going back to our world anyway?” Julian said.

“Oh, yeah. That. Um. We’ll discuss it tomorrow,” Chas said, avoiding the question.

“No, we go back tomorrow. You can’t just stay here all the time,” Julian said.

“But I like it here! Isn’t it fun, Jules?” Chas said. He crawled up the bed and snuggled into Julian’s arms. He had silently given up on the sex idea.

“It is fun, but we don’t belong here. We have our own world,” Julian said.

“You just miss your iPod,” Chas said.

“And what if I do? What have we missed while we’ve been in here? Maybe Andrew turned up looking for us,” Julian said.

“It’ll be fine. In my experience, we won’t have missed much. We can’t exist in both worlds at the same time, so more often than not, things only start up again once I return. Must be some weird physics law or something. Don’t ask me how it works,” Chas said.

“We’re going home tomorrow,” Julian said, making up Chas’ mind for him.

“Alright. Fine. We go home tomorrow. But you don’t tell anyone about this place, alright? On. Pain. Of. Death,” Chas said, prodding Julian’s chest with his finger to emphasise his last words.

“Trust me, no one would believe me if I bothered, you know. Now will you shut up so I can sleep? The only reason we’re not going back now is because I’m too tired,” Julian said.

“Spoil sport. But you still owe me a fuck,” Chas said.

“I believe it is you who owes me a fuck. I wasn’t doing the cock-teasing all evening,” Julian said.

“Gee, you’re in a good mood tonight. Perhaps I will go to sleep then. Maybe you won’t be so grouchy tomorrow,” Chas said, settling down in his arms as he tugged a pillow closer.

Julian sighed. He reached over and extinguished the lamp as he too settled down to sleep now that Chas was, thankfully, silent.

* * *

The next morning wasn’t good. Chas hadn’t drunk all that much on principle, but that didn’t excuse him from a killer hangover when he woke. He pressed his head into the pillow and groaned.

“We’re staying until the afternoon. I’m not going home like this,” Chas murmured.

Julian just chuckled quietly to himself. His own headache felt better once he knew Chas was also suffering. “That’ll teach you to drink,” he said quietly.

“Fuck off, man. Just fuck off,” Chas said. He rolled over and went back to sleep.

* * *

Indeed, it wasn’t until the afternoon when they both woke at last. Chas had some good breakfast brought up and lots of coffee. An hour later, he was feeling close to human again.

“So, wanna give me that fuck now?” Julian said, stroking his fingers down his arm.

“Hmm, good idea. Wait. Bathroom. Be right back,” Chas said.

Julian lay back in bed as he watched Chas pull his robe on and leave. He did adore Chas. Maybe they could stay a little longer. It couldn’t hurt.

Chas returned soon enough and slid his robe off in the most suitably gay pornish manner before he clambered back on the bed again. Julian brought him into his arms and kissed him. Chas badly wished Julian still had hair so he could tangle his fingers in it again. It was the one thing he would change about him. His thoughts ran into a dead end then as Julian began running his fingers down his back ever so gently.

* * *

It was nearly sunset by the time they extracted themselves from the manor with the excuse they were going into the country for a while. Craig got the carriage sorted and drove them back to the small narrow laneway they had first arrived in. Apparently, Craig somehow knew about the coming and going thing.

Chas kissed him goodbye, told him he still owed him a fuck and that he’d be back soon. And then the world froze as Julian and Chas entered that laneway and headed into the darkness, the world they left behind fading out of existence.

* * *

The study was oddly anticlimactic when they got back. The bookcase and the desk were moved back into place and the outfits they’d come in carefully folded and put away. Their normal clothes were still where they’d been left, as if no time had passed. Chas reached into one of the desk drawers and pulled out his phone to check how much time had passed.

“Two days. Not bad. I’ve had longer stints of time before. Come on, you hungry?” Chas said, slipping his phone into his pocket.

“Yeah, some normal food would be nice. I think I’ve had enough rich food to do me a lifetime,” Julian said.

“Yeah, it does get a bit much after a while,” Chas said. “I should call Andrew, find out what he was doing that got him so distracted before.”

“Good idea. Ask him if he’s finished that game yet,” Julian said with a grin.

“Let’s go find out,” Chas said.

* * *

Andrew was slightly ashamed to have fallen asleep at his computer. He glanced up at the monitor to find it blank. Perhaps it had turned itself off. He stretched like an overgrown human-sized cat and sat up. Perhaps he should actually go to bed. He had never gotten used to this whole ‘staying up til dawn’ thing that Chas seemed to do without any effort at all, even back when he was a kid and spent far too long playing games late into the night.

Flicking the monitor on revealed the game he’d just been playing. It was some beta RPG he’d found slightly interesting and decided to try, just for the fun of it. The game was still running, though it seemed he’d managed to finish the level before he’d fallen asleep. He found that… a little odd. But no, there were his two characters, sitting in some sort of lounge, satisfied they’d finished the damn level.

“I swear, I should never have named those bloody characters after my mates. I’m not sure why I thought that was a good idea. Chas has made this game far too weird, even by his standards,” Andrew murmured.

He vaguely noticed parts of his body ached in a way that didn’t suggest they were merely sore from sleeping funny at his desk, but he paid little attention to it. He couldn’t remember half of the level. The last thing he remembered doing was something about a theatre and his characters running rampage through it. And feathers. How had he gone from there to these two sitting there smugly, looking like they wanted to get a room?

“I am never playing this again. I’ll just stick to Oblivion. It seems inherently safer,” Andrew said as he shut down the game. He extracted the disc and put it back in its case. It ended up in a pile of discs labelled ‘spare coasters’ held together with a couple of elastic bands with a ratty looking post-it note stuck on the top disc.

Andrew stood up and stretched properly, wincing at pain around his torso. He pulled up his shirt to reveal some curiously spaced bruises. What the fuck?

“I really need a good fucking night’s sleep. And possibly a new computer desk. How the hell did I bruise myself playing a fucking computer game?” Andrew said.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he shut down the computer and headed for bed. Maybe he was just tired and had just imagined the bruises. Perhaps they wouldn’t be there when he woke. Yes, that was it. He was just hallucinating out of sheer overtiredness. That’s why he’d fallen asleep at his desk. Yes, there we go. A perfectly logical explanation.

As he looked down, he noticed his keyboard. It was only when he squinted and refocussed his eyes that he noticed his keys were all rearranged and some had fallen loose. He picked up a couple and looked at them. It was the equal sign and a square bracket. The Backspace key had moved as well, and he couldn’t see any Caps Lock key anywhere. Even Escape had managed to do so.

“Someone is royally trying to screw me. Fuck it, I’ll fix it in the morning,” Andrew decided, leaving the keys on the desk.

He switched the light off and left. He hadn’t even noticed a ghostly figure of himself lying on the ground all beaten up, curled up in pain. He reached out for help before lying back, giving up as he contemplated the stars and death.


End file.
